Hmm.. Are you pretty much just asking us for suggestions on what coins to invest in? Not too subtle.
Anyway, I personally wouldn't suggest investing in any cryptocurrency unless you actually know what they're for. Yes, I wouldn't even suggest bitcoin. Because if a certain person actually does the research and thinks a certain asset in general is a good investment, he/she probably wouldn't need to ask questions about it. Because if you want to be a good investor, you'd need to do your own homework.
You are right about this, OP need to analyze cryptocurrencies generally before starting at all, to know how volatile cryptocurrencies are. But, after making such research and analyze the coin properly, he will still choose bitcoin. And if I will advice him/her, I will advice him/her to choose bitcoin. Holding it, and keeping it safe from hackers not to penetrate.